Stirrings...

March is an old man,

Old and cold

Grey beard and weary

         - Elsa Beskow

The boys love this picture (from our favourite book about the seasons, Elsa Beskow's Around the Year) because as William said, "Winter is so old, he's almost dead!"

And truly, winter has abated to just a few lumps of ice under the long grass, a few patches of snow under the trees.

waiting...

For almost a month, they've been asking me, "Will it be spring tomorrow?" It's a difficult concept to explain. Spring comes in little fits and starts, doesn't it? Freezing at night, warm in the morning. A snowstorm here, a pussy-willow there.

The tiniest little lemon-balm leaves! Hello, darlings.

A little mythology helps. (We love silly Mrs. Thaw from Ollie's Ski Trip by Elsa Beskow. I have a feeling that the boys actually believe she exists.)

beds are mulched...

But this year, we really did wake up one morning to find Spring outside! Yesterday it was snowing, today it is robins and tee shirts!

The wind is exquisite.

Boots! Mud!

Babies who nap outside!

Children who roam at large!

searching for junk! I mean treasure!

swinging form trees!

Big plans for sticks and rocks!

There are stirrings in the air and soil. There are stirrings inside my sons: They want to build, to roam, to discover! 

William is constructing a fire pit in the back yard, and we have various exciting garden projects underway! Well, exciting to me. I get really excited about sticks.